The design and coordination of the Sports Horizon online portal highlights an important progression for me as a webmaster, designer and integrator. This opportunity offered me hands-on experience in project management as well experience in front-end and back-end web development. My principal responsibility was to plan, design and implant an e-commerce and marketing gateway commissioned by an affiliation of travel agents and sports event promoters. As the sole designer and programmer in the initial team I was a quick study to lead the project and I was charged to analyse the requirements in order to ensure its evolution.

The projects short term goal was to create a web site to promote and to sell Canadian Grand-Prix tickets, accommodations, and hospitalities. This first step was to be a prototype service that would then be expanded into a reservation platform and web based portal for local and international auto-racing events of all types. The client required also that the solution be scalable in order to promotion and sell other important sporting and venues. (see Football, Soccer, Golf, RedBull events and more.)

The first prototype launch was set conservatively for a year after joining the team that consisted of myself and one sales agent. That being said I assumed the lead of the project and looked forward to the management of a core team of developers and designers to expand on the initial offer after a successful prototype launch.

The site was conceived in the midst of the web 2.0 {(r)}evolution and so was to be incepted to be a data driven and open-ended (or responsive) site. In essence the portal needed to provide a firm and flexible data model that could encourage scalable modular development. Although the initial prototype was first proposed as website portal, I was already anticipating that it needed to adapt quickly evolving demands of the industry.

It is important for me to note that while I worked on leading this project I was also employed full time with an associated employer. Although the prototype site generated positive feedback and was lauded for its potential the want of funding, resources and the 2008 economical meltdown eventually forced the project to be shelved and to my chagrin was abandoned the following year.